Starting over isn't always easy
by FearlessBella04
Summary: Tori Lantis is finally on the main roster, and a part of a huge storyline too! She finally thinks this is her time to make something of herself and put her past behind her. But of course it's never that easy. Follow Tori as she fights to have a love life, friendship and a career even as her past tries to come back and take it all away.


This was incredibly nerve wrecking. I had been wrestling for a while now, but coming up to the main roster was still terrifying. So many of us wait down in NXT, waiting for the chance to join Raw or Smackdown and now it's my time. Oh, I forgot to mention, my name is Victoria Lantis, I'm only 24 and I've been wrestling for about 5 years, three of those were spent in NXT. I don't think they emphasis how much NXT helps you. I would have never thought I could pull off this badass lady gimmick until NXT gave me the chance to try and the tools to make it work and I never, ever could go back. They haven't told me exactly what I'll be doing now that I'm on Smackdown Live but I couldn't be more excited about it, and like I mentioned, totally terrified.

When I got to smackdown live It didn't quite hit me what could be happening to me just yet. I wanted to find Brie and Paige. They were a couple of the few people I knew well on the main roster so I'd feel more comfortable finding them as soon as I could, but after a half hour of looking I couldn't find them anywhere and it was time for my meeting with Greg, finally going to find out what'd I'd be doing here on smackdown live!

"So, Victoria congratulations on coming up to smackdown live" Greg shook my hand

"Thank you, I'm really excited about his opportunity" Tori said

"Well I certainly hope you'll like what we've got for you" Greg said, "We're just waiting for…."

Finn Balor, Maryse and The Miz all walked in.

"ah there they are" Greg said, "everyone have a seat"

With all three of them walking in I thought my heart was going to explode. Miz and Finn had been fighting for the IC Title for weeks now and Maryse was always the deciding factor in the matches. Finn couldn't catch a break.

"So, Victoria you know, I'd hope, that Miz and Finn here have been in a constant battle for the IC Title and we've decided to throw in an equalizer"

"an equalizer?" I asked

"yes, Maryse is constantly interfering on behalf of her husband and we think it's about time Mr. Balor had someone on his side to even the playing field" Greg said

"So, what do you think?" Balor asked me

"I think if you all are good with a newbie like me joining this feud, then, I absolutely love it" tori exclaimed

"We've all seen your work in NXT, you're not a newbie" Finn said

"and your persona fits well with Finn and clashes perfectly with us" Miz told her

"Excellent" Greg exclaimed "Tonight, there will be a Miz TV segment with Finn as the guest. As per usual the segment will turn into chaos with Maryse saving Miz from getting hit with a chair, that's where Tori will emerge from ringside and spear Maryse away from Miz leaving him very vulnerable for Finn to nail him with a swift punch in the face."

"excellent" Balor laughed

"Here is a little bit of a lay out, what I already went over and a few more things, you guys should go over it together, figure everything out, and you guys are the opener." Greg informed us.

"Thank you" I told him taking the paper

We all left his office and I had to stop and take a second to think about what was happening. When I first got called up I was crazy paranoid I'd be stuck in a rut, or used as jobber for the other main even ladies, or something like that. But instead they were trusting me to be put into a main event storyline. With guys like Miz and Finn, throwing down with a former divas champion, and all for the insanely wonderful Intercontinental championship. Was this really happening to me?!

"Hey Tori" I heard Finn's voice and it snapped me out of my trans

"Hey, sorry" Tori laughed

"You okay?" he asked

"oh yeah, just a lot to take in, I was so afraid I was going to be coming in and just jobbing out for a while and instead I'm a part of something very, very cool. Little scary" I told him

"Well we wouldn't have been on board with it, if we didn't think you could kill it" Finn told her "Want to go over this a little?"

"yeah that's be great" I told him "If you don't have anywhere else to be"

"nope, let's get some coffee" He suggested

"good thinking" I told him

After an hour or so of Coffee and talking I felt SO much better about the upcoming segment. Finn headed to the lock room to get into his gear and I headed off to our locker room to do the same.

"Can we come in?" Paige and Brie said knocking on the door

"Of course," I called back out

"We just came to check on you" Paige said "Maryse told me you're in the IC Title story!"

Tori nodded

"That's incredible" Brie hugged her

"and totally terrifying" Tori said

"You'll do great, Maryse said they knew they wanted you as soon as Greg showed them some options" Paige said

"Really?" Tori asked

"Yes" Paige assured her "You'll do great"

"I hope so, Finn went over some of it with me a little while ago, I feel better about it now" Tori told them

"Just think, you get to work with Balor, that'd be enough for me" Brie laughed

Tori threw on her leather jacket and laughed at Brie's comment.

Knock knock.

"I'll get it" Paige said as she headed towards the door

"well hello" Paige said to Finn who was standing at the door.

"Hi, I didn't mean to intrude, just came to see if Tori was ready"

"yeah, I'm all set" I said coming around the corner

"Wow" Finn blurted out

"what? Is this not okay?" she asked

"oh no, leather jacket, combat boots, it's exactly what I pictured, maybe even better" Finn told her

"oh well good" She laughed

"Get 'em out there girly" Brie said, "we'll be watching"

Tori smiled at her friends and headed out towards gorilla with Finn where Greg was waiting.

"you ready?" Greg asked me

"I am" She told him

"Alrighty then, we're going to take you down to the crowd, Finn your cue is any minute now, and Victoria you know what to do right?" Greg asked

"yes" I assured him

"alright let's get set" Greg said

Tori looked back at Finn as they walked away and he gave her a nod of assurance and somehow, she knew she was ready to go.

"I don't even know why General Manger Daniel Bryan keeps putting Finn though this. Letting him constantly fail. It's arrogance for both and it's pathetic. It's Daniels need to prove he can still be a part of the ring and he's using Balor to do it. But just like you Daniel Bryan, Finn Balor will continue to fail."

"And here comes Finn Balor, he's heard enough Byron" Announcer Tom Phillips said

"I'm surprised it took him this long to come on out" JBL laughed "He seems to enjoy getting his butt kicked by our IC Champion"

"Oh Miz, Miz, Miz. I have so much to say. So much to say. But please let me start with what I already know that everyone here is thinking…. You talk about Daniel Bryan so much, about how he can't get in the ring, and so on, and I have finally figured out why…."

"oh, Please Finn, please share" Miz laughed

"You're afraid of him" Finn blurted out

Miz and Maryse laughed as the crowd cheered

"you talk all this garbage because you know he can't get in the ring and shut you up how you deserve to be shut up, with a swift punch in that A+ face of yours. I know for a fact that you could never stand toe to toe with Daniel Bryan and out do him in any way, shape or form, and you know it too. But you know who can get in this ring and shut you up the way you deserve be shut up… ME!"

The crowd went from a quick cheer to a quick boo as Balor went to punch Miz and Maryse stood in front of him. Balor barely stopped the punch.

"As usual The Miz is hiding behind his wife." Tom exclaimed

"He doesn't hide behind her, she does her wifely duties of protecting her husband from crazy men who think they can throw punches whenever they want" JBL defended.

"What a minute, who's that?!" Byron exclaimed as he wanted Victoria jump over the barricade and spear Maryse away from her husband.

Miz was so rattled by what had just happened that he didn't even see Balors fist coming until it connected with his face.

"Who is that?!" Byron exclaimed again

Victoria walked over to the Miz who was knocked out on the ground. She took off her hood to show who she was, which got more of a crowd reaction than she expected.

"Byron that woman is Tori Lexis from NXT! She's come to SDLive to even the odds!" Tom Phillips revealed

She blew a kiss to Miz, met Finn on the ramp and walked backwards up it together watching as Maryse scrambled to get next to her husband.

"About time The Miz and Maryse got a taste of their own medicine" Byron said

"This is ridiculous!" JBL shouted. This woman cannot just come in here and spear the wife of our IC Champion!"

"looks like she just did JBL" Tom laughed

And they went to commercial and Finn and Victoria made their way to the back.

"Finn, Tori, Cameras rolling in 3,2,1."

"That was quite a spear lady" Finn said as he wiped his face with a towel

Tori smirked and took a drink of her water "That was quite a punch"

"I think we're going to make quite the team" Finn told her putting his arm around her

"Oh, yes we are" she agreed

And the two headed down the hall and the cameras stopped.

"CUT" the camera guy yelled "Good job guys"

The two walked back towards them "thanks"

"You did great" Finn told her

"Thank you… that was... fun" she laughed

"I'll catch you later?"

"definitely" she said and they both went their separate ways.

"Girl!" Paige exclaimed when Tori got back to the locker room "that was incredible"

"Did it look good on TV?" Tori worried

"Oh my gosh yes!" Brie told her

Tori took a deep breath "Oh good. I'm going to shower and stuff and I'll meet up with you guys later."

"Okay, we should definitely go out tonight and celebrate" Paige said, "I'll set it up"

"Okay" Tori smiled.

The girls left and Tori got ready to get herself all cleaned up when there was another knock at the locker room door.

Who is knocking on the door again?! She thought to herself as she went to answer the door.

And she wished she hadn't.

"what are you doing here?!" she exclaimed

"Hi, Tori"


End file.
